The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-08
TOO WARM CLOTHING.

An anxious mother has brought her
child to see her physician repeatedly be-
cause of an obstinate hacking cough,
which has chung to her ever since the
ushering in of sufficiently cold weather
to call for fires in the house and to give
excuse for heavy clothing. Heavy fan
nels have already been donned, and when
ever the child goes out she has the bene-
fit of heavy cloak with sealskin trim
mings, the collar Of which envelopes her
throat up to the ears 1t is true that the
mother has noticed how heated the child
seems to be whenever she goes out to
play, and the child will run and romp
whenever she goes out, despite her wrap
pings. but the leaving off of any Of the
wraps that have once been assumed is
feared, lest the child should take cold.
Notwithstanding all this care fresh cold
seems to be added to the pre.existing one
from time to time, and so the chorus OF
the cough is kept up from week to week.
The case illustrates well the evils of too
warm clothing, a condition really more
frequently the cause of disease than too
scant clothing. Hothouse methods of
rearing children are not calculated to
produce, sturdy, robust, healthy individ-
uals. Furnace er-heated rooms and
fur-lined overheating garments make an
excellent combination for developing ten
der sensitive threats and bronchial tubes.
Now, if the little child, above referred to,
could have the benefit OF large dose of
uncommon sense administered to the
mother, it would probably soon find its
cough gone. Cold sacks and frictions to
the throat would overcome it's sensitive
ness, and then it could and would be left
freely exposed to the air. (By the way,
the female throat is often mystery; now
apparently demanding the most careful
protection and coddling, and now able to
bear with impupity the most prolonged
exposure of both itself and its neighbor-
ing shoulders and bust in the draughty
air of the public hall or the parlor.) As
w uiO ohiiO . ClObilniB, IL 5uOuiu Do Ndrl6u
according to the reeds of the particular
day, never having more than would be
needed to keep it comfortable. When it
comes into the house from its play,
all in glow and perspiring from its ex.
ercise, all its outer clothing should not be
taken off at once, but it should be hidden
to simply loosen its outer garments and
wait until it had cooled off somewhat be-
fore laying them aside altogether. 1t
should not wear thin slippers on its feet
while thick wooden undershirts were
thought necessary for its chest.
Children of an older growth may like
wise benefit by the experience of this par
ticular little one. No part of the body
should be coddled with two much cloth
ing; and there is always too much when
upon gentle exercise any part is thrown
into perspiration. The rule has been
given that only that amount OF clothing
sufficient for comfortable warmth should
be worn. Such a rule is not sufficiently
exact, for the standards of what may be
comfortable warmth differ with different
persons. Our American people, at least
the dwellers in cities and towns, are prone
to false standard OF comfortable warmth.
Less of external heat and more of exer-
else and endurance are the needs of null.
titudes. n